The invention relates to a module for a data carrier adapted to communicate with a communication station, which module includes an integrated circuit device and transmission means, which are connected to the integrated circuit device in an electrically conductive manner, and which module can be tested with the aid of test means during a test operation, which test means can generate a test-result signal in dependence on a test result thus determined, indication means, which are electrically switchable between at least two indication modes, being switchable to a given indication mode in dependence on the test-result signal.
The invention further relates to a data carrier adapted to communicate with a communication station and including a module, which module includes an integrated circuit device and transmission means, which are connected to the integrated circuit device in an electrically conductive manner, and which module can be tested with the aid of test means during a test operation, which test means can generate a test-result signal in dependence on a test result thus determined, indication means, which are electrically switchable between at least two indication modes, being switchable to a given indication mode in dependence on the test-result signal.
Such a module of the type defined in the opening paragraph and such a data carrier of the type defined in the second paragraph are known from the patent document WO 00/11485 A1.
With the known module a test operation can be performed with the aid of a test device, which test device can determine a test result and can generate a test result signal in accordance with this result and which test device includes indication means in the form of display means by means of which it is possible to indicate a test result in a visually perceptible manner. In connection with such a test device as described in the patent document WO 00/11485 A1 it is long known not only to display the test result determined each time but also to mark each module tested using the test result determined by means of the test device, which marking is effected, for example, in such a manner that a test module that has not passed the test operation performed is provided with an optically perceptible mark, for example a color dot. Procedures such as notching or marking with print, require additional cost in order to mark a tested module, because these marks have to applied in a separate operation, which involves undesired extra cost and may also lead to a longer cycle time in automatic production.
It is an object of the invention to preclude the aforementioned problems and to provide an improved module as well as an improved data carrier.
In order to achieve the aforementioned object, according to the invention, a module of the type defined in the opening paragraph is characterized in that the indication means are provided on the module.
In order to achieve the aforementioned object, according to the invention, a data carrier of the type defined in the second paragraph is characterized in that the indication means are arranged on the module.
By applying the measures in accordance with the invention both an improved module and an improved data carrier are obtained. With a module in accordance with the invention and a data carrier in accordance with the invention it is achieved in a very simple and very cheap manner that after a test operation performed on a module in accordance with the invention a marking indicative of the result of the test operation can be obtained directly on the tested module without any separate operation, no additional means external to the module being required in order to obtain this marking.
With a module in accordance with the invention and with a data carrier in accordance with the invention it has proved to be very advantageous when the indication means are formed by display means. In this respect it has proved to be particularly advantageous when the display means perform their display function with the aid of an electronic substance.
With a module in accordance with the invention and with a data carrier in accordance with the invention it has further proved to be very advantageous when the indication means are formed by a memory area of memory means of the module which are available anyway. In this respect it has proved to be particularly advantageous when the memory means are formed by a semiconductor memory and when the semiconductor memory is incorporated directly in the integrated circuit device of the module.
With a module in accordance with the invention and with a data carrier in accordance with the invention it has proved to be very advantageous when the module is adapted to carry out a self-testing operation.
The aforementioned as well as further aspects of the invention will become apparent from the embodiments described hereinafter by way of example and will be elucidated with reference to these embodiments.